The United States says the Syrian government's decision to allow a meeting of opposition figures in Damascus was a positive step, though much more needs to be done to open political space in the troubled country. The State Department also said Tuesday the U.S. ambassador to Syria has begun meeting ranking Syrian officials after having been denied such contacts for weeks.

U.S. officials say there is still great skepticism about the intentions of the Syrian leadership, but that gestures in recent days suggest the political atmosphere may be easing.

The State Department welcomed as "progress" a meeting Monday in the Syrian capital of opposition figures and intellectuals, said to be the first of its kind in decades.

It said U.S. Ambassador Robert Ford has met with key advisers to Syrian President Bashar al-Assad in recent days after being denied such contacts for more than a month.

It also described as a "move in the right direction" the unimpeded staging of protests in a least a few Syrian towns in recent days, though others were broken up by force.

State Department spokeswoman Victoria Nuland said the fact opposition leaders were able to convene without interference was "progress" and "something new and important for the democratic process in Syria," though she said President Assad must go further.

"President Assad knows what has to happen in Syria if that country is going to move in the right direction," said Nuland. "So our message to him hasn't changed and won't change. We're simply pleased to see that the opposition has been allowed some breathing space. And a key element of Syria moving in the right direction will be that that continues to be the case, and that the government begins to engage with these folks."

Nuland indicated that U.S. envoy Ford used his newly re-established contacts with senior Assad aides to intervene for opposition members, when it appeared that Monday's meeting was going to be barred.

The Syrian government said it has invited some opposition figures to join in talks July 10 to set a framework for a political dialogue promised by President Assad.

But some Syrian activists said the Monday meeting was only a media event to try to improve the image of the Assad government, which is blamed for the deaths of some 1,300 demonstrators in a violent crackdown on dissent since mid-March.

Journalist and Syria expert Andrew Tabler, a visiting fellow at Washington's Institute for Near East Policy, says those who took part in Monday's meeting were mainly older opposition figures, and not the young activists who are driving the protest movement on the ground.

Tabler also says the big question for the promised dialogue is whether Assad is really willing to discuss yielding power after 40 years of family rule.

"What exactly is on the table? Does that mean that the Assad regime is going to set up a structure where President Assad would give up the presidency? Is that it? I mean it's a security state," Tabler noted. "Would the secret service be dismantled? I will depend on what's on the table. Talking is not enough. There has to be some kind of transition to something fundamentally different."

The Obama administration has stopped short of flatly demanding Assad's departure, saying he must implement reforms or "get out of the way."

At this year's annual South by Southwest film and music festival in Austin, Texas, some musicians from Mali were on hand to promote a film about how their lives were upturned by jihadists who destroyed ancient treasures in the city of Timbuktu and prohibited anyone from playing music under threat of death. As VOA’s Greg Flakus reports from Austin, some are afraid to return to their hometowns even though the jihadists are no longer in control there.

Video

At this year's annual South by Southwest film and music festival in Austin, Texas, some musicians from Mali were on hand to promote a film about how their lives were upturned by jihadists who destroyed ancient treasures in the city of Timbuktu and prohibited anyone from playing music under threat of death. As VOA’s Greg Flakus reports from Austin, some are afraid to return to their hometowns even though the jihadists are no longer in control there.

Video

American warplanes joined Iraq's battle against the so-called 'Islamic State' in northern Iraq late Wednesday, as Iraqi ground troops launched a massive assault on Tikrit. Analysts say the offensive could take the coalition a step further towards Mosul, the largest city held by Islamic State forces. Others say it could also deepen already-dangerous sectarian tensions in the region. VOA's Heather Murdock has more from Cairo.

Video

Tourism is a multi-billion dollar industry in the Philippines. Close to five million foreign visitors traveled there last year, perhaps lured by the country’s tropical beaches. But Jason Strother reports from Manila that the country hopes to entice more travelers to stay indoors and spend money inside new casinos.

Video

The continued fighting in eastern Ukraine and the shelling of civilian neighborhoods seem to be pushing more men to join the separatist fighters. Many of the new recruits are residents of Ukraine made bitter by new grievances, as well as old. VOA's Patrick Wells reports.

Video

Islamic State fighter, a prisoner of Kurdish YPG forces, asked his family asking for forgiveness: "I destroyed myself and I destroyed them along with me." The Syrian youth was one of two detainees who spoke to VOA’s Kurdish Service about the path they chose; their names have been changed and identifying details obscured. VOA's Zana Omer reports.

Video

More is being discovered about the co-pilot in the crash of Germanwings Flight 9525 in the French Alps. Investigators say he was hiding a medical condition, raising questions about the mental qualifications of pilots. VOA's Carolyn Presutti reports.

Video

In cities with heavily congested traffic, people can get around much faster on a motorcycle than in a car. But a rider who is not sure of his route may have to stop to look at the map or consult a GPS. A Russian start-up company is working to make navigation easier for motorcyclists. Designers at Moscow-based LiveMap are developing a smart helmet with a built-in navigation system, head-mounted display and voice recognition. Zlatica Hoke has more.

Video

U.S. federal law enforcement agents arrested two suburban Chicago men accused of trying to join ISIS overseas, while also plotting attacks in the United States. As VOA’s Kane Farabaugh reports from the Midwest state of Illinois, one of those arrested is a soldier of the Illinois National Guard.

Video

Traditional push-rim wheelchairs create a lot of stress for arm, shoulder and neck muscles and joints. A redesigned chair, based on readily available bicycle technology, radically increases mobility while reducing the physical effort. VOA’s George Putic reports.

Video

Beatrice Yardolo was to make history as Liberia’s last Ebola patient. Liberians recently started counting down 42 days, the period that has to go by without a single new infection until the World Health Organization can declare a country Ebola-free. That countdown stopped on March 20 when there was another new case of Ebola, making Yardolo’s story a reminder that Ebola is far from over. Benno Muchler reports from Monrovia.

Video

Indigenous communities in Cambodia's Ratanakiri province say the government’s economic land concession policy is taking away their land and traditional way of life, making many fear that their identity will soon be lost. Local authorities, though, have denied this is the case. VOA's Say Mony went to investigate and filed this report, narrated by Colin Lovett.

Video

One of the films that drew big crowds last week at the annual South by Southwest festival in Austin, Texas, tells the story of the last human being to stand on the moon, U.S. astronaut Eugene Cernan. It has been 42 years since Cernan returned from the moon and he laments that no one else has gone there since. VOA’s Greg Flakus reports.